Where You Live

12

This little guy was just perfection. His mama wanted a natural feel to his session and it is honestly my favorite way to do a in home newborn photo session. This little boys family loves adventure and travel and once you see his nursery, I have a feeling you will fall instantly in love, just like I did. He is their “little explorer” taking them on a brand new adventure.

Family photography will always be my first love, but the more Newborns I get to photograph, the more I am really beginning to fall in love with this genre as well. <3

His daddy built that wall in his nursery by hand. He said it was like putting a puzzle together, but you have to create every single piece! Five different tones of wood and a lot of time later, and the coolest nursery wall I have ever seen was created. It is even more gorgeous in person. I can’t think of a better place to have the family portion of their photo shoot.

This little boy is so insanely loved… I can’t wait to see how he grows and the adventures he gets to experience with his parents.

As much as I love the intimacy of in home newborn sessions, I have been dreaming of outdoor newborn photography for quite a long time. I have finally figured out all of the details and I can’t wait to show you what I am planning. I am anxiously waiting on the wildflowers to bloom.

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist. I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

29

It has been WAY TOO LONG since my last personal post. I am sure the 5 kids, homeschooling, busy season, the holidays, an autoimmune diagnosis and a teething baby have something to do with it… lol

It is what it is, and I will try and do better. (but no promises) ;-)

So I joined a “Project 52” this year. There aren’t any weekly themes and the only rules are that you submit 2 images each week that were taken that same week of your own personal life. I decided to join as a way to stay accountable. My own family’s photos sadly, fell through the cracks this past year. We had our last baby this past year (who is now ALREADY 7 months old!) and we will be moving out of our home and in to a rental soon, to get ready to build on our 17 acres of land. So many changes and adventures are coming our way, and I desperately want to document it. This is our story, with our completed family, and the first step towards so many of our dreams will be happening this year.

The last time I participated in a 52 week project, I lasted until week 22 and then fizzled miserably. Since then I have thought “if I’m not going to finish, whats the point?”, until I was going through personal photos a couple months ago… You know what? Some of those shots I took in the first 22 weeks are some of my FAVORITES! Who cares that I didn’t finish!?! I got some precious shots I would never have otherwise been motivated to take, that represented us, and perfectly documented them. This year, I will need all the accountability I can get. lol.

One of the reasons I am so excited for our future home (which isn’t built yet) is that it will have LIGHT! Currently, our home has the kitchen and living area in the middle of the house. There is very little natural light, and as you know, I love light! I can’t help but pick up my camera when the light is beautiful, but on the other hand, it is really hard for me to get inspired when the light is crappy. Add in 5 kids worth of messes, and my house is just about the least inspiring place for me to take photos in the entire world. lol

The problem though, is that we live our entire life in the kitchen and living room!

Last week I was scrolling Instagram (Are you following Jenni M Photography, Jenni M Designs, and my personal account?) and had the thought “I can’t wait to take sink bath photos in our new house!” Just as quickly as the thought came, I realized, “I won’t have a baby by the time we finally get the house built!” :-( Time never slows down… As close as we are to my dream of a light filled, more minimalist inspired home, my baby just won’t wait that long.

I have to document our “now” right NOW or else it will be lost. I can’t document her rubber band wrists, the fascination of dripping water, her back rolls and the way she kept licking the water off her lips like it was a special treat in a year, because it will be gone. forever.

So the light… I had to figure something out… I loaded the dishwasher (because I ALWAYS have dishes in my sink) cleaned the sink, filled the sink and got my camera ready.

Then I grabbed the milk jug, put it in front of the LED light and turned on the overhead light as well. Yup, that will do.

My house wasn’t picked up, my other 4 kids kept trying to “help” and the rest of my kitchen still needed to be cleaned, but I kept telling myself “If they don’t turn out, I don’t have to share them anywhere. They are about her, nothing else.”

And you know what happened? I freaking love them! I can’t even tell you how much my heart hurts at the thought that I was just going to not take them because I didn’t have a beautiful sink with a window behind it. They aren’t perfect, but they are our “right now” and that is priceless to me.

So if you are still hanging in there and have read this far…

Stop waiting until your life looks perfect. Stop waiting until your house looks better, walls are painted, clothes are clean, kids are easier, floors are clear, weight is lost…

Because as much as I believe professional photography is worth every penny, I also believe your every day moments need to be documented too. Who cares if they are crappy cell phone photos! If you take 20 and only 1 “turns out”, THAT’S OK! Photos are about remembering. We love them so much because they bring back memories. If you want to learn how to better use your cell phone for every day moments, I can’t recommend the Every Day Artistry guide enough. It’s beautifully written, and has so many great tips on how to get better images from your camera phone.

So what does my life look like? I am truly excited to share some peeks and highlights with you over the course of this year. You are welcome to join me in the Project 52 as well (hosted by the same photographer that wrote the guide I linked above)! You don’t have to be a “pro photographer” to be a part of it. Come document your life with me. <3

Nov

29

It has been my pleasure to photograph this beautiful family twice over the past 2 months. Two very different sessions celebrating such a precious story of growth and change. (Take a peek at their Family Maternity Session)

Their in home newborn session was easily one of my faves to date! She had asked if we could work in some fresh flowers in to the session, and of course I said yes! She said she would go get them, and have them ready. “Sounds good” I said, and I honestly didn’t think much more about it.

I arrived at there home to find two large boxes full of lush gorgeous seasonal flowers!!!

So long story short, I was in floral heaven. This sweet babe slept pretty much the entire session and I got to cuddle a fresh little one for a few hours.

I love my job. <3

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist. I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

05

I can’t even handle this little one. He was SO incredibly precious and these images don’t do his sweetness justice! All the little squeaks and grunts, the softness of newborn skin and even how they smell. I love it all. It brings back memories of when each of my own 5 children were this fresh. I could go on and on about my adoration of babies, but I’ll just stop myself now. lol

I love in home lifestyle sessions SO MUCH! Inviting me in to your personal space give images a deeper “context” and a more intimate level of sentiment. These walls, they will hold so many memories to come, and have witnessed so many beautiful moments so far.

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist. I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

04

Holy chicken!!! I can’t believe how many pictures I took this month! It’s a good thing I started editing them early…

What would the 4th of July be without sparklers and fireworks?!?

I hear “Can I hold the baby?” about a million times a day and it seems like we are all a little extra tired lately. lol

She has changed our world and we are all so much better for it. <3

Dress up

We found a blue hat at Unclaimed Baggage that he absolutely fell in love with!

Madie had her newborn photos taken with Heartstrings by Heather. Heather is a wonderful photographer and seriously amazing at styling! I can’t wait to see how they turn out. I got to take a few behind the seines shots for Heather while she worked.

3 week check up! I am wondering if the scale was off… lol. She was only 7lb 1oz when she was born. I am having a hard time believing she gained a whole 1lb 10 oz in just 3 weeks!

My Aunt Patti came down from Indiana to visit! While she was here she cooked for us (many times), cleaned my house, painted both of the kids rooms, watched the kids so I could go run errands and gave us some great tips on how to improve our bowling score! Can’t wait to see here again in September!!!

I couldn’t help it! I decided to take a few newborn images of my own. <3

I don’t know how she didn’t wake up with 4 wiggly kids touching her at the same time, but I seriously love how it turned out. So much sentimentality in one image!

I may need to take a shot like this every month. The couch cushions would be a great way to show her growth!

Emma decided Madie needed someone to snuggle with. She told me that she loves her baby doll and wanted Madie to play with her. lol

#FarmLife

She was just standing there in her cute “twirly dress” and the wind was blowing in her Xtrutuf boots… I absolutely love going out to the land. So many beautiful moments while we work on our dreams.

Many of the images I took this month were taken on my new Fuji x100f. I purchased it primarily for my personal photos but after taking these with an underwater housing I am seriously considering using it to offer pool sessions next year! I seriously LOVE it! I have always struggled with needing an extra bag and an extra hand for my D750. The Fuji has enabled me to capture personal moments that would have just gone undocumented. It’s small enough to go with me EVERYWHERE (including the pool!) and that is exactly what I needed.

I think I may need another external hard drive if I keep taking pictures the way I have been this past month! lol

But seriously, I am so pleased with my Fuji x100f. It’s small enough to bring it everywhere with me and I can hold it with one hand! (a must if you have 5 kids) I have been able to capture so many more moments than I would have with my Nikon. It’s seriously a game changer as I pursue documenting my own family. <3

Jun

28

I have 5 children of my own and I can’t even tell you how much I cherish those brand new moments after bringing a new little one home. Everything is fresh and new. There is so much to learn, so much to absorb, and it’s all through sleep deprived eyes and emotional hearts…

It goes by so quickly!

As beautiful as it is, it’s also one of the most challenging things I have ever done. New life is complicated, and every little soul is unique, and has different needs. Being asked in to peoples homes to document these precious first moments, is such a special thing to me. <3

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist. I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

04

Do you remember that magical time of life when you jumped on the bed, squealed with joy, played dress up and cuddles with mom made the whole world right again? When I read through the questionnaire I sent out to this family and they wanted to recreate those moments I could hardly contain my excitement! I could go on about what a wonderful time we had and such but I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves. <3

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn, Birth and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist. I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing the unique bond and beautiful connections that are found in your own relationships and imagination.

16

I absolutely LOVE in home lifestyle sessions! There is something about kids being in their own space, lack of posing, the beautiful LIFE that happens inside the place we call home. Sentimental details are everywhere, memories around every single corner and every single bit of it is something I want to remember with my own family. This sweet little one is the last of 3 girls and her mommy decided she wanted images to help remember those little moments that we so quickly forget. The way she snuggles, plays with her toes when she nurses, so close to crawling but not quite yet, the look of adoration when she looks at her big sisters, the faces and the dimpled fingers and curly toes.

Maybe I love doing these sessions so much because it has a way of bringing those memories back for me and my own children as well. <3

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn, Birth and of course Families)
and focus on showcasing the unique bond and beautiful connections that are found
in your own relationships. For more information about my packages click HERE.

I also accept a limited number of Weddings each year. You can find my collection details HERE.